Nellie Cline

Nellie Cline was born December 7, 1886, in Larned, Kansas. Cline graduated from Baker University and went on to earn her law degree. She followed her father’s footsteps. G. Polk Cline was a respected trial lawyer in western Kansas. In 1912 she was admitted to the bar and in 1918 was the first woman to present oral arguments before the Kansas Supreme Court. After the Suffrage Amendment, Cline became was among the first four women to serve in the Kansas House of Representatives from 1921 to 1924. Cline introduced and passed the Threshermen’s Lien Law, which gave protection to farm labor in Kansas. Cline moved to Idaho in 1935 after the death of her husband and father. She was the first woman to serve in the Idaho Senate. Cline was successful in getting many laws passed in Idaho concerning pensions, social health, and sanitation, among others. Cline died April 1, 1984, in Pocatella, Idaho.

Entry: Cline, Nellie

Author: Kansas Historical Society

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The Kansas Historical Society is a state agency charged with actively safeguarding and sharing the state's history

Date Created: May 2012

Date Modified: July 2016

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